National status for Regional Gardens

8 February 2012

Taranaki’s three Regional Gardens now make up half of the region’s nationally significant gardens, with Tupare and Hollard Gardens being awarded the status already enjoyed by Pukeiti.

The New Zealand Gardens Trust recently assessed Hollards (Kaponga) and Tupare (New Plymouth) as Gardens of National Significance, bringing the number in Taranaki to six.

The achievement has been hailed as a great tribute to the staff and volunteers at both properties, which along with Pukeiti are owned and administered by the Taranaki Regional Council on behalf of the people of the region.

“It’s great that all three Regional Gardens now share this status,” says the Council’s Regional Gardens Manager, Greg Rine.

“National recognition reflects the enormous efforts made by staff and volunteers at Tupare, Hollards and Pukeiti to maintain and improve the gardens.”

Mr Rine says the assessment process was rigorous.

“At Hollards, the judges were particularly impressed with the diverse range of plants and the artistry in terms of the pruning,” he says. “At Tupare, they were impressed with the attention to detail, the landscaping and many of the plant compositions.”

He says the people of Taranaki can be justly proud of the Regional Gardens and the people who work in them and support them.

“This national recognition is further encouragement to continue our efforts to improve all three gardens for the people of Taranaki and their visitors,” says Mr Rine.

“It also helps to consolidate the region as ‘the garden province of New Zealand’ a description that goes right back to the 1830s.”

Along with Pukeiti, Tupare and Hollard Gardens, the region’s Gardens of National Signficance also include Pukekura Park and Brooklands, Oakley Garden near Manaia and Puketarata near Hawera. Te Kainga Marie, in New Plymouth, is classified as a Garden of International Significance.

For more information on the NZ Gardens Trust, see www.gardens.org.nz.

For more information, see www.tupare.info, www.hollardgardens.info and www.pukeiti.org.nz. Social media users can also follow the Regional Gardens on Facebook (TaranakiRegionalGardens) and Twitter (@TaranakiRG).

Tupare, Hollard Gardens and Tupare are open daily and entry is free.

ENDS

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